Mormon Tiktok influencer charged with child abuse
After being detained at her home earlier this month, the TikTok influencer who gained notoriety last year after discussing “soft swinging” with her Mormon mom friends has been charged with domestic assault.
Following her arrest on February 17, 28-year-old Taylor Frankie Paul was charged on Tuesday with two instances of domestic violence in the presence of a child, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and child abuse, according to court documents that BuzzFeed News was able to obtain.
A Herriman, Utah, police officer testified that Dakota Mortensen, Paul’s boyfriend, and Paul’s kids were present when they got into a violent altercation. She allegedly hurled a wooden playhouse and her phone at Mortensen as he tried to leave the house, according to the complaint.
Paul allegedly threw “large, metal furniture” at Mortensen during the argument, causing holes in the wall. Mortensen ordered Paul to stop throwing the second chair since her 5-year-old daughter was sitting close to him on the couch. Paul flung another chair after being warned to stop, hitting her 5-year-old in the head and giving her a nasty bump, according to the declaration.
The 5-year-old can be heard sobbing after being struck with the stool, the declaration claims, and the video evidence supports this claim. The video shown in the affidavit also demonstrated that Paul repeatedly assaulted Mortensen and choked him.
‘Dakota expressed feeling terrified for his life,’ the officer’s statement read. “Dakota was seen to have redness.
and a laceration on his neck, as well as swelling around his eyes, on his elbow, and on his fingers.”
Paul and her ex-husband split custody of their two kids, and she frequently posts pictures of them on her TikTok account, where she has more than 4 million followers. Paul gained notoriety last year after discussing her “soft swinging” way of life with her ex-husband. Her posts had fueled rumors that other TikTok-famous Utah influencers might have been involved before Paul disclosed that she “stepped out of that deal” and the two got divorced.
She has since commented on her new partnership, co-parenting, and mental wellness. When she became pregnant, Mortensen and she were thrilled, but it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, she admitted on Facebook.
She wrote on Instagram in December 2022, “Cheers to the SHITTIEST year of my entire life. “Millions of people watched it all and provided their kind comments, from a tough marriage to swinging, to divorce, to major loss of some relatives, best friends, friends, my children kids part-time, wanting to be in another relationship but can’t let myself be joyful, to ectopic pregnancy, to deep sadness.” Since her arrest, Paul has stopped posting.
It wasn’t immediately obvious whether Paul had hired a lawyer. She will probably be in on March 21 in court.
According to Sim Gill, the district attorney for Salt Lake County, Paul is facing allegations rather than charges.
There is a presumption of innocence, however at this stage, after considering the officer’s comments, any video evidence, and statements from individuals involved, the prosecutor declared that there is sufficient evidence to support pursuing charges.
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